Congealed Psychosis
by Crimson Tears
Summary: It was that noise again that scratching of rusty metal against pavement. The shrill scratching sound that seemed to be following her. Staying just far enough behind to keep her on her toes. Get ready to be plunged into the macabre that is Silent Hill. OC
1. Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill. Nor, its characters. The characters of Liz, Tommy and Keita are my characters, and I do own them as well as a couple "no name" characters. The following story is a two plus two production.

Chapter One:

Memories

Memories, memories, memories… they flooded her psyche. They were not hers. Of that she was sure. They haunted her, always lurking, even in the middle of the day. She could never shake these memories. They would never leave her alone. They would never leave her behind.

She tossed and turned; lost in the abyss of her unconsciousness. A horrified scream rose from the darkness. It flung her from her sleep, her breath catching in her throat. Shaking uncontrollably, she looked around the room. The bed was empty, as it had been since the accident. He was no longer there to comfort her when these nightmares occurred.

She climbed out of bed and walked to the vanity cattycorner to the bed. Peering into the mirror she noticed that her face was swollen red and puffy from crying in her sleep. She sniffed and pushed her shoulder length brown hair from her face. She glanced around the room that they had made together. The light blue curtains fluttered in the night breeze. The bare floor was cool on the bottom of her feet.

She adjusted the light blue tank top that served as her pj top. She went back to the bed and pulled the large silk comforter around her neck. The Shiba Inu lying on the floor noticed her unease and came to the bedside. He didn't dare jump up in fear of knocking down the curtains that lined the large pillow top mattress. She parted them and called him up. He happily complied and joined her on the bed.

"At least you're still here." She said embracing the dog. He tried to lick her face but she gently pushed him back. "You're not going to go away are you Keita?" The dog lay next to her, her ever faithful companion.

_"There's no other way Liz!" He said looking at the room. "It has to be this way!"_

_"Suppose we turned the vanity…wouldn't that work?" She asked inspecting the room._

_He vigorously ran his fingers through his hair, the way he did when he was loosing his patients. "I've tried that. What's wrong with the way it is now?"_

_She shook her head. "Nothing I suppose." She shrugged and walked over to the hope chest her mother had given her on their wedding day. Flipping the lid up she sifted through the various gifts that they had received. She found a pair of teal Jersey sheets and took them out._

_"What do you think?" She asked holding them up against the light blue of the drapes hanging from the four post bed._

_"Looks good." He said and leaned against the door frame. "Know what would look better?"_

_"What?" She asked naively._

_"You and me, on them!" He said with a grin._

_She tossed a large plush pillow at him. "You're horrible!"_

_He ran at her, lifting her high in the air. She screeched, and moments later Keita came bounding into the room. He expressed his displeasure at seeing his female human being spun about the room by yelping loudly. When Keita got tired of warning Tommy to put his human down he began jumping up. As if vainly trying to stop their twirling._

_"Put me down! You've upset the dog!" She cried taking notice of the danger that could befall them._

_"Oh he's fine!" Tommy said ignoring the dogs protesting whines._

_Keita howled and ran about the room. Tommy carried her over to the bed and parted the curtains. He tossed her on the bed, but as she fell everything changed. She could hear the screeching of tires and the scraping of metal against metal. The windshield caved in and shattered all around them. And then the scream._

Liz woke to sunlight flooding the bedroom. She looked around sleep still clinging to every inch of her body. Forcing herself to stand, she got out of bed and made her way to the kitchen. Keita had long since made his way to his dog dish and was happily eating the remains of the previous evening. Keita stood by the island crunching his food. His big brown eyes observed her as she made her way to the coffee maker. She put on coffee even though she hated it. It was habit. After all she wasn't making it for herself, she was making it for Tommy.

"Morning Keita." She said looking over at the tricolor backside that was facing her. She smiled as his ears perked at the call of his name. She straightened and made her way to the porch. On the doorstep lay the morning paper. She picked it up and went back to the kitchen. The coffee was beginning to brew and the smell invaded the house in a very welcoming way.

Rolling it out on the island she looked at the front page. Nothing of interest caught her eye, and she flipped through to the classifieds. She checked through all the puppy adds before folding the paper back up. The coffee was finished now and she poured a cup and set it on the table. Old habits were hard to break.

She poured some juice for herself and looked over at Keita. This time he took notice of her and came to her side. She knelt down and scratched him between his ears.

"Wanna' go on a trip?" She asked. He jumped up a little and tried to lick her face. "Yes, you wanna' go on a trip." She stood and Keita wondered into the other room. "Get ready Keita, we're going to Silent Hill."

Liz put the last of her things into the red Jeep and slammed the back door. Keita ran around the yard wagging his tail. He watched as she situated a few more things in the back seat and shut the door.

"Come on Keita!" She cried and clapped her hands. He leapt up and jumped into the Jeep. Taking his place in the passengers' side he looked out the window.

Making sure the door was locked; Liz took a final look at the house and walked over to the car. As she was climbing in a voice called out to her.

"Ah Dr. Marnell, where are you off to this fine day?" She looked across the hood of the car to the neighbor's house.

"Oh, Good Morning Mr. Thompson. Just off to West Virginia." She said brightly.

"Oh! Are you on holiday?" He asked leaning over the white fence.

She couldn't help but notice that age had indeed taken its toll on the kind old gentleman. But his eyes were exceptionally bright and full of life. Wrinkles adorned his forehead and his cheeks. Liz would have guessed him to be somewhere in his early seventies. He wore a very beaten up gardeners hat. His coverall's were dirt stained, implying that he had been in the garden only moments before. She smiled and placed a hand over her eyes.

"I guess." She said not wanting to be rude.

"West Virginia eh? What's a pretty young thing like you going there for?"

"I have family there." She lied. "I'm taking sometime off since the…."

He put his hands up and nodded his head. "I understand. I took a lot of time off when I lost my Martha. You have a good time there. I'll keep an eye out; make sure no body goes breaking in." He chuckled.

"Thanks. One less thing I'll have to worry about."

"You take care now." He said turning toward the direction of his porch.

"See you later." She called and climbed in to the car.

Keita looked at her, in a way that reminded her of Tommy.

"Oh don't look at me like that. He's a nice old man. A bit senile maybe, but still nice."

Keita laid down on the seat and rested his head close to the air conditioning vent. She smiled and stuck the key in the ignition. Then she put the car into drive and pulled out of the driveway.

Two hours later she pulled into a gas station. She parked the car along the forestry area and let Keita out. He seemed very happy to get out and stretch is legs. He wondered around the trees sniffing here and their. His dark coat stood out against the deep greens of the mountain so she had no trouble keeping an eye on him. She let him wonder around the shrubbery and popped inside the convenience store.

She selected a large water bottle and some orange juice to take with her. She also picked out some chips and jerky before heading to the counter. Once there she paid for her items she made her way back outside. She glanced around for Keita and didn't find him.

"Keita!" She called. "Keita! Come here boy!" She walked to where she had left him. He was gone. "Keita!" She waked down by the shrubs and looked into the forest area. He was gone. "KEITA!" She called louder.

He still didn't come. Getting frantic, she jogged to the highway and looked down either way. There was no trace of him. "KEITA!" She called louder.

He still did not come. Tears welt in her eyes. Where had he gone? He had never left on his own before. They had taken tons of trips. She turned and walked back to the car. Angry with herself she deposited the water and snacks in her seat. She walked around the front of the gas station looking for Keita. As she neared the garage she heard a mans voice talking in a tone that one would use on a child. She turned and found Keita happily wagging his tail and receiving much desired pettings. The man looked up.

"Oh, is he your dog?"

Here's your sign, she thought, quoting a comedian whose name she could never remember. "Yeah, he's mine."

"He's mighty perdy."

Perdy, she scoffed. It was east to tell this man came from the mountains somewhere.

"What kinda' dog is he?"

"He's a Shiba." She said wanting to wrap up this short but sweet conversation.

"Very perdy ma'am. You take care now." He patted Keita gently between the ears and brushed past her.

"Come here baby!" She called in delight. "Oh don't worry me like that!" She hugged him and kissed his furry snout. "Let's go!"

She wasn't sure how long she had been driving. But twilight was beginning to fall. Looking around she found a mile marker indicating that a small town was just a head. On the opposite side of the street she saw a billboard. It looked like an open bible and had a scripture of some sort on it. She didn't take to much time to read it. Looking for the turn off, she glanced at her clock. Quarter to eight. It was time to stop.

She turned off when she found the exit. A small inn lit up an area just off her right. It looked like a Super 8, but it had obviously been redone and was now just a small town inn. She disliked this type of motel but at this point all she wanted was a bed. Keita was beginning to get restless and was pacing on the seat. He yawned in protest of going any farther. She smiled and pulled into the parking lot.

After requesting a room and lugging in her overnight pack She collapsed on the bed next to Keita. He panted and looked at her as if she had just stepped on his favorite toy. Without exchanging a good night with her only companion, she drifted into unconsciousness.

_She was running again. She was always running. Panicking she stopped and fiddled with a doorknob. The door wouldn't budge. She pounded on it, hoping to maybe break it down Though breaking it down would not solve her problem. She threw her body against the rotting wood hoping it might give. Nothing. The door stood strong as it had when it was new, as if to mock her. The hair on her neck rose and she shuffled against the adjacent wall. Her damp brown locks fell against her dirt smudged face. It was that noise again; that scratching of rusty metal against pavement. She was frantic now._

_She looked down the dark halls. She couldn't see very far, it was too dark. She felt along the wall; the paint came off, sticking to her palms. She edged down the corridor hopping to escape the sound. The shrill scratching sound that seemed to be following her. Staying just far enough behind to keep her on her toes. As she turned a corner she bumped into something, something about her size. Her eyes widened as it came into view. A scream escaped her throat and chilled her to the bone._

Liz shot up, out of breath and sweaty. She glanced around the room unfamiliar with her surroundings. Keita nudged her hand and she jumped with fright. He licked her fingers in a gesture that meant he wanted to be petted. She shook off her sleep and climbed out of bed. Making her way to the bathroom she grabbed her overnight bag, a warm shower and some breakfast would wake her up. Then she planed to go into Brahms and pay the archives a visit.

Liz fiddled with the knobs of the shower, and cold jets of water spat out. She adjusted the knobs until she found a pleasing temperature. Then she removed her clothes and climbed in. Standing under the shower head she let the jets shoot warm water at her. It soothed the ache in her shoulder. She assumed she had acquired that discomforting pinch while sleeping on the firm hotel bed. Rubbing her shoulder with one hand she rung water from her hair with the other. She loved the water, it was always so soothing.

She applied her shampoo and conditioner and finished off with an oatmeal and shea butter body wash. She fancied shea butter because it always made her skin soft. And Tommy had liked the smell of the shea butter. In many ways she sought comfort in that scent. Since the accident she hadn't changed shampoo, body wash, deodorant, or perfume. Anything that reminded her of better times she kept. She finished up and climbed out of the shower.

The bathroom was muggy due to the steam, and so she opened the door. Keita was lying on the bed panting. He sniffed the air as she stepped out.

"What's up?" She asked as she put her over night bag on the bed. She rummaged through until she found her jeans, pink tub top, and white t-shirt hoodie. She dressed quickly and then towel dried her hair. She took a seat on the bed and located the remote. Flipping through the channels she found the weather channel. The weather look lovely today, but tomorrow- when she planned to go to Silent Hill- it looked rainy. She sighed, nothing she could do about it.

She looked around the room, realizing for the first time that she hadn't look around last night. It was a little room. In the middle was a queen size bed, and across from that was the dresser with the TV on top. To the left of that was a table and a lamp, and on the wall hung a few painting of wildlife from the area. Overall, it was a nice room.

"You want some breakfast?" She asked Keita. She jumped off the bed and did circles in the open space from the bed to the door.

Liz smiled and stood up. "Okay, let's go get some breakfast."


	2. Ghost of You and Me

Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill, nor any of its characters! This is a 2+2 production

Chapter Two:

Ghost of You and Me

As Liz opened the door to the country archives building, she heard the annoying ding-dong-ding-dong of the door bell. She had now come to notice that every public place had that annoying door bell. Then as if the bell could since her annoyance, it chimed a second time. Rolling her eyes in disgust, Liz made her way to the receptionist's desk.

"Good Morning. How can I help you?" asked the middle aged woman behind the window.

"Good Morning. I'm Dr. Marnell, I'm a psychologist. I've been doing a study on the affects of fumes from coal mines on the brain. I was wondering if you could get me the archives from Silent Hill." This was a blatant lie, but she knew that the lady would be more willing to hand over the information if she came in sounding like she had a legitimate reason. Of course she could just tell the receptionist that her dead husband was haunting her and that was why she needed the files, but she knew that would fail. And what kind of psychologist actually believed in that kind of thing.

"Well, those files are limited. I'm not sure how much good they will do you." The receptionist peered at her over her large rimed glasses. "Would you mind showing me an ID?"

Liz reached into her purse and pulled out her hospital ID, figuring that the woman would be less reluctant if she produced an ID that would support her story. The receptionist glanced at it and handed it back. "I'll do what I can. If you go just down the hall on the left you'll find a small room with a table. You can wait in there and I'll bring you the files."

"Thank you." Liz said. She made her way to the small room. Thinking quickly, she pulled out a pen, tablet and her tape recorder. She placed them on the table and made it look as if she were there to do serious research.

The receptionist walked in with two large boxes and placed them on the table. "This is all that we have, the rest is strictly confidential."

"These will do just fine." Liz said taking the lid off of one. The smell of old paper and smoke greeted her.

"Let me know if I can do anything else for you." The receptionist then turned and closed the door behind her as she left.

Liz sifted through file after file looking for anything that might help. The files were all completely pointless. There were a lot of news clippings scattered through out the files. One was on a domestic disturbance that happened at some random house whose address was long worn from the line. Another was a forth of July report on some young kids setting off fire works. She did strike gold after going through half of the second box. She found an article on a fatal car accident. She read through the file.

_October 24th 1995_

_Car Crash Claims Young Computer Tech's Life_

_A fatal car crash claimed the life of Tony Maxwell, 24 of New York. He and his fiancé crashed just outside of Silent Hill, early Tuesday morning. Both were rushed to the hospital, where the young man was pronounced dead on arrival. The young woman, Lisa Smith was driving the car. Police believe that alcohol was not a factor in the accident. Further investigation is pending. _

Liz held the clipping in her trembling hand. The news article from the file stood out; as if the writer knew that she would see it. She felt sick and had to sit down. She flipped through the file, looking at the photos from the scene. They were the same. It was as if she were looking at the file that had her accident in it. The picture of Tony looked exactly like the photo they had used of Tommy. In fact, if she didn't know better she would have sworn that it was Tommy. She continued sifting through papers and found a photo of Lisa. Her mouth went dry as she stared at a picture of herself. It was ridiculous, she thought. It's not possible. I was in elementary school when this accident took place.

Feeling quite ill, Liz jotted down the names and tossed the file back in the box. She stood, stuffed her belongings in her purse and made her way out the door. She thanked the receptionist and then stepped out into the bright afternoon sunlight.

She sat on a park bench watching Keita chase after his tennis ball. The day was moving along as if nothing bad had happened. The world was oblivious to her sadness and pain. A couple walked past, hand in hand. The girl leaned against the guy, her head resting on his shoulder. They seemed to be lost in their own world.

Liz called Keita over and took the ball from him. She tossed it and he took chase once more. Somewhere in the part another dog barked happily. Keita became distracted by a squirrel and had abandoned his ball. He had chased the squirrel up a tree and was running excitedly around the trees trunk. Liz watched as her seemingly massive beast harassed the smaller creature. The squirrel, becoming fed up with Keita's antics, threw something at Keita. Liz couldn't see what it was, but assumed that the squirrel had pulled some bark loose. Deciding that Keita had had enough fun, Liz went and picked up his ball and called him to her.

"Why are you being a bully?" She asked as he joined her. "You're not very nice, picking on that poor squirrel." She said patting his head. "Come on, lets go eat and then we'll go back to the hotel."

She and Keita began walking toward the archive building. She had left her car parked out in front. Enjoying the fresh air she took the time to look around the small city. There were a few diners, and a bunch of "mama and papa" shops. She remembered how her mother had loved to go to these little stores and buy just about everything inside them. But Liz didn't inherit the nick-knack gene, so shops like these were of little interest.

As they reached the car, Liz reached for the key fob that she needed to unlocked the automatic locks. She clicked it and nothing happened. She rolled her eyes, hadn't the dealership fixed it? She had taken it in weeks ago. She went and manually unlocked the door on Keita's side. The dog yapped happily and jumped in the car. She shut the door and turned around.

An old man stood behind her. His eyes seemed to be deep caves of flesh. Vibrant white stared back at her. His cheeks were hollow sinkholes, defining the skull underneath. His hair was mostly gone, but what did remain was white and chaotically scattered atop his scalp. He made sucking sounds as he started to talk.

"The danger!" he moaned. "Don't go to the danger. It will consume you." He said pointing a withered hand at her.

"Dad!" cried a woman.

The man turned to toward the voice. "The danger."

"I'm so sorry." Apologized a middle aged woman. "He doesn't mean any harm."

She took the old man by the hand. Her dyed red hair seemed to glow with a golden color to it. Liz guessed that she had just come from the hair parlor since she smelled of perm chemicals.

"He's just confused. The doctors say it's Alzheimer's. I'm sorry he scared you." She turned him toward the sidewalk. But the old man seemed to find strength that neither of the younger women would have assumed he had. He turned back toward Liz.

"The hate will consume you. It consumes everyone. Don't follow him. Don't go to Silent Hill. Your husband…don't follow him." The old man rasped.

"Dad! You'll stop scaring this nice lady right now!" The woman barked.

Liz stared at the old man. She knew that the blood had drained from her face, but she reached out for him. "What?"

"The danger." He repeated. "Oh Tony." He moaned.

The middle aged woman, whom Liz assumed to be the daughter of the distraught old man, looked at her. Liz knew she could see the fear in her eyes.

"Now honey, don't you listen to this old man. He's going senile. Don't let him scare you. Come on dad. You've terrified this young lady enough already." She led him to the sidewalk and Liz stood there staring at the old man.

The woman stopped and deposited a quarter into a news vending machine and reached into the depository. The old man stood next to her, watching Liz through his unseeing eyes. Liz turned quickly to avoid the blank gaze. Somehow it scared her more than his words had. It was as though a mist had over taken his eyes; a swirling blindness that only he could understand. She had worked with many blind people, but none had scared her as much as this man had. She walked around the car and unlocked her side. Climbing in, she made sure not to make eye contact with him. She started the ignition and was getting ready to pull out when a thump came to her window.

The old man's boney hand rested on the window. Keita had taken notice of the unease of his master, as well as the presence of the old man. A low growl escaped his canine lips. He stood, ready to attack should the old man break the glass and threaten his human.

"People have come before, people like you. It's always the same. They don't come back." The red headed woman came over and grabbed the old man. She pulled him away from the car and proceeded to scold him. But he just watched Liz, his unseeing eyes piercing her like knives.

She put the car into gear and pulled out of her parking spot. She drove away, keeping her rich brown eyes glued to the old man through her rearview mirror. Once the elderly man and his female companion were out of sight Liz relaxed. Keita had long taken to gazing out the window.

The old mans words echoed in her head. She couldn't shake his message. Others had come? What did that mean? Whatever it meant, the old man had left her with a vital clue. They hadn't ever come back. If this were true, there would be records of the disappearances. She decided that before she set out for the town of Silent Hill that she would stop by the library and do a bit of research. If slowing her down was the only repercussion then she figured that it was worth it.

Liz pulled the jeep into the parking lot of a Pizza Hut. She was surprised that the small city even had one. Cracking the windows for Keita she locked the door and went inside the restaurant. As she pulled the heavy doors open she was greeted by the sweet smell of pizza dough. She let the door close behind her and looked around. A couple of cheap vending machines were to her right. The kind that held the cheap prizes that young children begged their parents for. She though about how she used to pester her parents for a quarter so that she could obtain those silly cheap necklaces from the machines.

A young blonde waitress asked her if she was the only one dining and led her to a booth. From the booth Liz could see vintage style arcade games. She noticed that they hadn't been used for a long time. They were unplugged and collecting dust. She thought of how she would have loved to buy one of them for Tommy. Sighing she looked at the menu. If anything she figured she could ask the waitress for some information.

The waitress came back to take her order.

"What can I get for you today?" She asked.

"A small cheese Pizza please." Liz said.

"Okay, breadsticks?"

"No thank you." Liz said giving the girl her menu. "I have a quick question."

The waitress looked at her questioningly. Liz assumed that this young girl was not use to casual conversation between her tables. "Okay."

"Do you know of anyone going missing around here?" She asked.

The waitress pointed to the wall adjacent to the cash register. "Who are ya' talking about? There's a whole bunch of missing persons flyers pinned up over there."

Liz thanked that waitress and made her way to the front of the store. She scanned a larger push pin board. There were at least a dozen yellow flyers with pictures of missing persons; some of them dating back seven years. One of the flyers was of a young girl. Liz was particularly taken with this young girl because of the sad picture that was used to make the poster.

Having been through many years of trauma with children in her private practice, it was very easy for her to pick the picture of the girl apart. The child seemed distant, almost as if her body was devoid of its soul. She was standing next to a man who had his arm around the young girl's body. Next to the man was an adolescent boy and a woman stood behind him. Liz assumed that this was the girl's family. Everyone but the little girl was looking at the camera and smiling. The child's eyes were averted from the group. Liz guessed that there was a history of abuse in the family.

She glanced at the information below the picture. The child's name was Angela OroscoAccording to the information she had disappeared from her home. She'd be around nineteen today. Liz dipped into her bag and pulled out her pen and pad. She jotted down the girls name and returned to her seat.

The waitress came by minutes later with her pizza and a glass of water. She also laid down a very own newspaper.

"I don't know how much this will help, but it's the only current newspaper about any disappearances."

Liz thanked the waitress and gave the waitress her credit card. "I'll just pay now."

The waitress took the card and returned minutes later. She gave Liz her card and receipt and told her to have a lovely day. Liz ate her pizza and then folded the newspaper and stuffed it in her purse. She was headed for the library.


	3. Mania

Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill. Nor, its characters. The characters of Liz, Tommy and Keita are my characters, and I do own them as well as a couple "no name" characters. The following story is a two plus two production.

Chapter 3

Mania

Liz entered the small community library. She was greeted by the musty smell of books and old paper. The library was deathly silent and the clacking of her tennis shoes echoed off the walls and bookcases. She made her way to the main counter in the center of the lobby. A librarian was sitting back in a computer chair reading a Cosmopolitan magazine.

"Excuse me." Liz whispered. Not knowing why, there was no one in the library.

"How can I help you?" ask the woman. She was not much older than Liz and her brown hair was pulled up in a loose pony tail.

"I was wondering where your newspapers were, and perhaps a computer." Liz said raising her voice to an "in-door" voice.

"Well the computers are to your left, but I'll need to a library card."

"I'm not from around here." Liz mumbled.

"Well, do you have some sort of ID that I can use to check you in with?" She asked with slight annoyance.

Liz produced her hospital ID. The woman took it and entered a few things into her computer and handed it back. Then she pointed to the stair case on the right.

"Up those stairs is where we store the newspapers. They're mostly the local tribune and a couple bigger ones like the New York Times. If you need any help just let me know." With that the woman resumed her place in the magazine and left Liz to wonder the library.

Liz made her way up the staircase. She couldn't help up let her imagination get the better of her. She had the odd feeling that someone was watching her from behind one of the large bookcases. She scolded herself, painfully aware that she had seen one to many horror movies in her high school years. She glanced around the room and found a large bound book sitting in an open area away from the windows. She assumed that it had to have something pretty valuable inside and walked to it.

As she flipped the cover open she found that it was a book of all the past years New York Times. At least she knew she was in the right place. She looked around the vicinity and found a small brown door. She turned the handle and went inside.

The room was basically the size of her bedroom closet. Along the walls were several books much like the one that was out on the table. She glanced at the years and decided that they hadn't yet put this years together. She made her way over to a metal rack toward the back of the closet. There, sitting in perfect order was the city's newspaper. She picked it up and took it out into the lobby. She picked up the last six months worth of newspaper and began flipping through, starting with the most current.

She had been flipping through newspapers for what seemed like an hour when she found the first article on a missing person. She skimmed the article. According to the report, a young man had gone camping around the Brahams area. The search had been called off after two weeks. They had assumed that the man had fallen into a coal shaft in Silent Hill and had been burned to death by the fire under the city.

She shuddered. Silent Hill seemed like a very scary place to be headed. She read through a few more articles on missing persons. They had all seemed to disappear around the same area. She wondered just what was going on to make the place so dangerous. Logic said that she should just go home. But she needed answers. There were too many things left unknown. Like why her and Tommy's photos had been in the local paper; and more importantly why the accidents had been so much the same.

Feeling quite exhausted, Liz folded the news papers and put them back. She decided that checking the internet for the missing child would be her best bet. She wondered if the child had wondered into Silent Hill and had died as well. Making her way down the stairs Liz felt her purse begin to vibrate. She looked down startled. She'd forgotten that she had brought her cell phone. She fished through her bag and pulled the bubblegum pink cell from the depths. It made a tinkling sound as the various charms clattered together.

She glanced at the screen. A small beating heart was pulsing on the screen, and next to it was his name. Liz went pale. She had disconnected Tommy's phone weeks ago. She saw no point in paying for a cell that he would never be able to use again. She pushed the green cell button and brought the phone to her ear.

Her mouth went try as she tried to speak. "He…hello?"

There was a moment's pause and then a painfully familiar voice answered back. "Liz?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin. I'm losing it, she thought. She just stood there, stunned, her mouth agape.

"I love you. Please come find me." His voice was lightening in her veins and sugar to her ears.

"Tommy?" She choked as tears welt in her eyes. "Where are you?"

"We're waiting for you. Here." His voice was being broken up by static now.

"Where?" She pleaded; she had to know where he was.

"Silent Hill." His voice was becoming broken now, almost impossible to make out. "We're….you." the static had swollen so much that she'd only caught two words. The phone disconnected and a busy signal echoed out into the empty floor.

She sunk against the wall staring at her cell. Tears ran down her cheeks, leaving red trails. He's dead, she thought. He's dead, and I'm getting ghost phone calls. I'm going crazy. She tucked her legs under her and rested her head on top of them. She continued to stare at the cell phone resting in her right hand.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there. It wasn't until she thought of Keita that she decided to move. She had left him in the car all this time. She pulled herself from the safety of her mind and made her way down the stairs. She glanced at her watch. She'd been in the library all day. Walking briskly past the reception desk, she decided that she didn't care about Angela. Whatever had happened to the girl had happened almost ten years ago. She pushed the door open and stepped out into the cool evening air.

Keita had been sitting in the front seat starting at the door since his master had gone inside. His deep brown eyes had barely left the door, and when he saw it open he could hardly contain himself. He danced impatiently in his seat, waiting for her to open the door so he could be smothered in attention.

Liz unlocked the doors and climbed into the car. Keita immediately nudged her for attention and he scratched behind his ears. His red collar jingled as he pulled away and settled into the seat. She took a minute to regain her composure and then started the car. While they were driving she started a conversation with the Shiba.

"So Keita, what would you tell me if I said to you that Tommy called?"

Keita's ears perked at the announcement of his name and of Tommy's name.

"Well," she continued. "Surely you would say, 'You're crazy!' I mean, anyone would. But Keita I'm not crazy." She was driving blindly now, not really paying attention to anything she passed or to the road.

"You would say to me, 'Get a grip, you're a psychologist. You know better.' That's what anyone who knew me would say." Any composure that she had collected before starting the car was lost now.

"But you would also know that I've always believed in super natural phenomena. So, honestly how far fetched would it be?" She wasn't paying attention now. She was just driving with no real destination in mind. She hadn't even noticed that she was out of Bhrams city limits.

"I'm not crazy Keita. I can show you! I can go through my recent incoming calls and show you that he called me. But I disconnected his phone. I let it stay on until I ran the battery dead. HAHA dead!" She signaled her blinker and turned up a winding road; it lead somewhere up the mountain.

"Tommy is supposed to be dead. But he called me! I talked to him. He's waiting for me somewhere. Would you like to see Tommy again?"

Keita had taken notice of the change in the metal stability of his master. She was no longer talking like the person he knew, but rather she was babbling. Her voice was getting shriller with every sentence, and it was making him anxious. He impatiently stomped his paws into the plush seat; hoping, if to accomplish anything, it would be getting her attention. When that didn't work, he whined, and finally gave into a yelp.

She droned on however, babbling about her ghost phone call and how she wasn't crazy. It was as if she was unaware of her surroundings. He yelped louder and louder until he was howling. It wasn't until the radio shrieked with static that she was pulled from her trance. She stared at it as if she had never seen one before. As she reached to turn it off, Keita let out a low, menacing growl. She glanced to him. He was staring out the windshield, his fur sticking straight up, standing in attack position. His lips were twisted in a snarl exposing his teeth.

Having regained her senses, Liz fiddled with the radio. She noticed that it wasn't even on. She looked out the windshield and wondered where she was. Keita growled again, and she locked the doors. The radio abruptly went silent. She glanced at it but stayed focused on the unfamiliar road. Keita was no longer growling and had decided it safe to sit. He was still on guard, but he had relaxed considerably. She slowed the car and took a good look around.

There were large pine trees on either side of her. The road was narrow and a light fog was beginning to set in. She wondered how long she had been driving in her manic state. She glanced at her gas gage. It hadn't been very long according to the meter. She'd filled up the car that morning and the gas meter was barely below the full line.

She turned her attention back to the road just in time to see something big dash across the highway up ahead. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She had a sudden feeling of foreboding settle in her gut. Whatever it was that had dashed out in front of her only yards away was wrong. She didn't know how else to describe it.

Now full alert, Liz kept her attention strictly on the road. She was looking for anyplace where she could turn her car around and head back down the ominous mountain. She drove for what seemed like hours, keeping her eyes pealed incase another large beast were to run out in front of her. She rounded a bin and continued a ways before she spotted a place to flip a u-turn. She signaled her blinker and pulled into the dirt turn-around. She checked all directions before heading back down the mountain.

She only made it about two hundred feet when two more large creatures darted out in front of her car. The radio let out a horrified squeal and Liz slammed on the breaks. The car drew closer and closer to one of the beasts who had stopped. Liz thought it looked like a dog. She was horrified to see what looked like dirty bandages hanging from the dog's body. She turned the wheel of the car trying to avoid the grotesque looking beast. Just as the car turned the dog opened his mouth, which was anything but a mouth. It looked as if the beasts head had been split open. A horrible growling sound filled the air accompanied by the screech of tires.

The car careened off the road and slid into a large tree. Glass shattered and the sound of metal scraping against wood was the only sound that Liz heard before she slid into unconsciousness. The car lay just off the road, steam rising from the crunched hood. The horn seemed to be stuck, and all that could be heard from the car was Keita's howling, steadily rising over the sound of the blaring horn.


	4. Lucid

Disclaimer: I do not own Silent Hill. Nor, its characters. The characters of Liz, Tommy and Keita are my characters, and I do own them as well as a couple "no name" characters. The following story is a two plus two production.

Chapter Four: Lucid

_The large silver doors loomed in front of her. Their silver skin shone menacingly in the dull light. She steadied herself with the I.V. pole. A metallic flavor invaded her senses and she held back the urge to wretch. This was it. This was the gateway between life and death. Once you passed through those doors it was final. _

"_Do you want someone in there with you?" the nurse asked._

"_No." She managed. "No, its better if I do this alone."_

_The nurse nodded and took a step back._

_Liz filled her lungs and then slowly exhaled. She reached out and touched the cool metal. A wave of cold fear rushed through her. Just beyond this door was Tommy. Hw was within a hundred yards of her. He was so close, and yet he wasn't. He had already stepped over the threshold. _

_She gently pushed the doors open.. They swung with little effort. She imagined that they swung open so easily because it only took one person to operate a gurney. She gripped her I.V. pole and pushed it in front of her. She knew it was silly, but if death were hiding beyond those doors it would be better for the I.V. pole to take the brunt of the attack. It would give her a chance to get away. She glanced around for all exits. Even injured she figured she could make it to an exit. _

_The pole slid gently across the tile and threshold. Liz braced herself for the impact to come, but nothing happened. Death was smart. It had to be watching her. It had to be waiting. She slowly stepped into the morgue. _

_A man sat at a desk in the corner going over files. He looked up and his eyes softened. _

"_Mrs. Marnell?" his gentle voice startled her. _

"_Yes?" She asked._

"_I'm so sorry."_

_He stood and walked over to her._

"_We did the best we could. Are you ready?"_

_Are you ready? She held back the urge to roll her eyes. How could anyone be ready to confront death? She nodded, knowing that was what society expected of her._

_The doctor gently pulled back the sheet. His body was a ghostly white. A wave of grief flooded her. She tried to hold back the sobs but it was useless. She ran a finger over a large gash above his eye brow. The skin was torn in several places. Any blood that had been on his face had been washed away. She grasped the sheet and pulled it down to expose his hands. She took them gently in her own. His hands were cold and boney white. She willed him to breathe. She willed the blood to circulate and bring color back to his body. She brought his hand to her lips. He was so cold. She hoped that somehow her lips would bring back life. That maybe she could steal life away from death. _

"_Liz…"_

_The whisper surrounded her. She looked around and was suddenly afraid. The room had changed. It was no longer the clean, shiny, disinfected, cold room. The walls had turned a sickly redish brown color. The metal had rusted. The floor was littered with flaked off paint and broken tiles. _

_She took a step back but sill held tight to Tommy's hand. What happened? She looked around for the mortician. He was gone. _

"_Liz…"_

_She had to be crazy. That was Tommy's voice. She looked at him. He hadn't changed. He was still cold and pale. He lay there quiet and still. Death ebbed from him. She leaned closer to him and suddenly his eyes snapped open._

She jerked back, and pain instantly invaded her head. The sound of a horn blaring seduced the pain. She gently touched her head. A bump was forming above her eye. She looked around slowly taking in her situation. The air bags had deployed and the windshield had spider web cracks. A fog had seeped in through the vents and gave the situation a surreal feeling.

Keita moved quietly in the seat next to her. Liz was glad to hear him moving, it meant that he was okay. The hadn't broken in and he seemed to be uninjured.

Liz reached for her phone. She found it wedged between the seat and cup holders. She yanked it free. Upon flipping it open she became annoyed. The phone had no reception. Liz sneered at the small electronic. The damn things never worked when they were truly needed.

After assessing her surroundings she decided against trying to start the car. She didn't know if any gas had leaked and the last thing she wanted to do was blow up the car. She tried to roll the window down, but it wouldn't budge. _Figures_, she thought. _Nothing can be easy. _The front dash was crushed from the collision with the tree, but she was able to get her legs away from the mess. She pushed past Keita and began kicking the passenger window.

It took about five kicks before the glass gave way. On the fifth kick the glass shattered and a cool breeze wafted into the car. Liz sat back for a moment and gathered her thoughts. There was a backpack in the back, she needed that. She reached over to the ignition and removed her keys. She peered into the back seat and found her jacket. Then she fished through the glove box and pulled out her flashlight and first aid kit. She pocketed her cell phone and used the flash light to clear away the remaining glass.

When she had deemed it safe, she climbed through the window. Keita was on her heels. He stuck his head out the window and whimpered in distress. Liz smiled and tucked the flashlight in her jacket pocket. Then she reached in and lifted the dog from the front seat.

"Did you really think I would leave you?" She asked over the sound of the horn.

She set him on the ground and made her way to the back of the car. As she walked she slid the jacket on and flipped the flashlight on. She wanted to make sure that the batteries worked. She inspected the damage. The car looked fine except for the front. She was surprised that neither she nor Keita were injured more seriously. She had a few minor scratches, and a goose egg on her head. But that was the extend of her injuries.

She inserted her keys into the back lock. Nothing happened. She wondered if a wire had come loose in the accident. It was a minor set back. All she really needed to do was pop the window open. She hoped that the wires to the window weren't broken. She pushed the window release, and the back window popped open.

Liz reached in and pulled her backpack out. She dropped it by her feet and reached in again. She pulled out a small travel cooler. AS she reached down to grab the backpack the hair on her arms and neck rose. A low, feral growl rose from the fog. It wasn't Keita. She knew Keita's voice. This was aggressive and threatening. She thought for a minute about climbing back in the car. But Keita was out there in the grass somewhere. She couldn't leave him behind.

The bushes near the car rustled, and Liz jumped. Keita emerged, his fur was puffed out and his lips were curled back in a snarl. He was looking out into the fog. She followed his gaze hoping not to see anything. She feared what was out there. It sounded big, and she was unarmed. She looked around her feet for a stick or a large rock. If whatever was out there attacked them, they would be in serious trouble.

She called Keita to her but he didn't move. She looked in the back of the car and spotted her crow bar. She pulled it out. At least she had a weapon. Keita took a few steps forward. He stayed low to the ground. Liz pulled her keys out of the lock. She fumbled to remove the cap from the pepper spray. She held it in front of her, and gripped the crow bar with her right hand.

Then Keita stood up. His fur settled back into place and he sniffed the air. Liz was still on edge and looked around hoping to find whatever was hiding in the fog. Keita turned and walked back to her and jumped up. Not wanting to waste any time, Liz picked up her backpack, stuffed the flashlight into the mess side that held a water bottle, and picked up her cooler. She slid the backpack on and called Keita. She set off following her tire tracks. She didn't think she was to far from the road.

The tracks were fairly deep and in a slight U shape. Liz followed them, the whole time keeping her guard up. She had the crow bar in her free hand. Keita was at her heels stopping randomly to sniff a bush. Whatever had been watching her by the car seemed to have gone, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.

The tire tracks came to an abrupt end at the pavement. Liz was relieved to find something familiar, even if it was an old broken up highway road. She stepped onto the blacktop and called Keita out of the forest area. She felt better being on the road. Perhaps not entirely safe, but better none the less.

Keita came bounding out of the forest with a stick in his mouth. He wagged his curly tail and spun in circles. Liz had to wonder what was going through is head. She took the stick and tossed it up the road a ways. Keita took off after it. His toe nails making a "tat-tat" sound on the pavement. She took a moment to look for skid marks. That way she would know which way was up and which was down.

She found them a few yards from where she was standing and it looked like the direction she had tossed Keita's stick was the up direction. It would have been easier to tell if the yellow markings dividing the highway were still present, but they had been long worn away. Liz decided to go up. Whatever had caused her to careen off the road may still be hiding in the bushes, and she didn't really want to run into them.

She walked a little ways before she heard Keita come toward her. He had the stick in his mouth and danced happily around her. She took the stick from him and threw it again. He took off running. She looked up to see if she could see the sky, but the fog seemed to grow thicker further up. She decided it was dangerous to be walking in the middle of the highway. She took to the edge of the road. At least there she wouldn't get hit by a car. Keita materialized out of the mist carrying his stick. She took it from him and lured him to the side of the road with it. Then she threw it for him. Seconds after it left her hand she heard a "thunk" sound. Like it had hit a metal pole.

She looked up. A large sign stood just off the road. Its gold letters were illuminated by two lights the shown brightly thanks to the fog. Her heart stopped as she read the sign.

_Welcome to Silent Hill_

Tommy's message crackled maliciously in the back of her mind. "We're waiting for you. Here… Silent Hill."


End file.
